This invention relates to laser cutting articles and in particular laser cutting apertures in articles.
Apertures may be formed in sheet metal components using a laser. Where the aperture is larger than the beam diameter of the laser e.g. greater than 5 mm in diameter it is typical to traverse the laser over the component to cut a path that is equivalent to the desired edge profile of the aperture. As the laser traverses the profile to cut the metal by melting some of the material melted by the laser, the metal re-solidifies and forms a layer, typically called a recast layer. The recast layer can contain micro cracks and can be a weak point in the structure.